Bob Dylan and Hats

What can I say about this that won’t be reductive?  I’m reluctant to write this, I admit a degree of crassness, but do want to address the Scorsese documentary.  Hats do play a part in this event and, after all, we are a hat blog.  First of all, one of my favorite Dylan tunes, “Leopard-skin Pill-box Hat” is actually one of the few songs sung in its entirely in the film.  Here are the lyrics:

Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Well, you must tell me, baby How your head feels under somethin' like that Under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Well, you look so pretty in it Honey, can I jump on it sometime? Yes, I just wanna see If it's really that expensive kind You know it balances on your head Just like a mattress balances On a bottle of wine Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Well, if you wanna see the sun rise Honey, I know where We'll go out and see it sometime We'll both just sit there and stare Me with my belt Wrapped around my head And you just sittin' there In your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Well, I asked the doctor if I could see you It's bad for your health, he said Yes, I disobeyed his orders I came to see you But I found him there instead You know, I don't mind him cheatin' on me But I sure wish he'd take that off his head Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat Well, I see you got a new boyfriend You know, I never seen him before Well, I saw him Makin' love to you You forgot to close the garage door You might think he loves you for your money But I know what he really loves you for It's your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat

Copyright © 1966; renewed 1994 Dwarf Music

So what to make of this?  Initially, it appears as if the hat represents nothing more than a strong symbol of association that Dylan ascribes to the woman that the song is about.  Why does the woman wear this hat and why does it catch Dylan’s attention?  Something to consider is the fact that pillbox hats were hot-hot at this time.  Jackie Kennedy wore pillbox hats designed by Halston, a very chic designer of the day.  Jackie led the fashion parade in those days.  This woman was not someone acting outside of the mainstream.  The hat certainly catches Dylan’s attention, in fact as she carries on with another guy, this clown is wearing her hat and that bothers Dylan more than the affair!    Finally, Dylan thinks that this hat is so powerful that he levels the accusation that another guy does not love her for her money (back to my point about the kind of women who would wear these hats in those days), but rather because of the hat, and only the hat! 

If you are readers of this blog or VillagHatShop.com, you know that I continue to address the historical power of hats as symbols.  I won’t reiterate here, see other blog articles and VillageHatShop.com for more on this.  But, did anyone notice that short film, identified as the first footage of Dylan in New York’s Greenwich Village, within the film?  The entire short is nothing more than Bob Dylan changing hats.  Talk about symbolism!  Here, clearly in my opinion, Dylan is saying, as did Scorsese throughout the film, that Bob Dylan is a chameleon, is capable of changing personas, musical styles, and the like. 

Tonight is the second part.  Keep on the lookout for hats. 

Fred Belinsky

http://VillageHatShop.com

Comments

[AnferTuto]

Hola faretaste
mekodinosad

[Larry Belmont]

I was wondering what brand or type of hat Dylan is wearing in the following photos. I call these the Rolling Thunder and Desire hats, and they seem to be either Stetson Open Roads or Gun Clubs, maybe even custom.

Hoping someone in the know can ID them.

Photos are at

http://www.skylighters.org/dylanstuff/dylanhat1.jpg

http://www.skylighters.org/dylanstuff/dylanhat2.jpg

Thanks.

[TheShades]

Not even close my friend. You're looking at more of a gambler style hat. Now I've been trying to comercially get one for years and the only people that can do it are Baron hats, and it'll cost about $500. I don't think anybody makes hats like that anymore, maybe he just picked it up somewhere random in the first place!

[Idetrorce]

very interesting, but I don't agree with you
Idetrorce

[FrankieLee]

http://www.costumesofnashua.com/CNWebSite105/Active905/Pages/Hat/Western/hatWesternuse905.htm there are a fair few that look pretty fair. hope you like em!

[Morgan Cleaver]

The song is about Edie Sedgwick, and her Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat.

[BMB]

Fred B - Completely the wrong end of the stick about Leaopard Skin Pill-box Hat. Far from Dylan seeing it as something iconic and powerful the whole song is ridiculing the utter pointlessness of the hat and the shallowness of its wearer and anyone who would be impressed by it, Probably aimed at Jackie Kennedy.

You miss the irony of the statement about loving her for her hat and the obvious ridicule in the lines about wearing his belt around his head which is as useful as wearing a pill-box hat.

Dylan is evidently unimpressed by the hat.

[Hugo]

What is the name of the hat Dylan Wore during the rollin thunder revue and the hat he wore in Amsterdam the 10 of April in Amsterdam

[Shasta]

Here's the RTR hat just as stated above except they want $1000 for it! I had one custom made back in76 for $60 at a hat shop in CT. Sorry to say it was stolen around 1982 when I lived in CA. Wish I still had it!
http://www.baronhats.com/Rollingthunder.htm